Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside Chicago's Israeli consulate to protest settler violence

Protesters chanted “Israel out of Palestine, long live the intifada,” "From the river to the sea, Palestine is almost free," and "Netanyahu, you will see, Palestine will be free." Follow us on Google Pro-Palestine protesters demonstrate near the Consulate General of Israel during the second day of the Democratic National Convention on August 20, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois; Illustrative.(photo credit: JIM VONDRUSKA/GETTY IMAGES)ByALEX CARSONAUGUST 5, 2026 19:15Updated: AUGUST 5, 2026 19:45Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Israeli Consulate in Chicago on Monday to protest escalating settler violence in the West Bank. The demonstration was organized by several local pro-Palestinian groups under the umbrella of Chicago’s Coalition for Justice in Palestine.The afternoon event began outside the consulate before protesters marched through downtown streets toward the Trump Tower area.Throughout the march and demonstration, the crowd chanted, voicing slogans such as “Say it loud and say it clear, we don’t want no Zionists here,” and “Not a penny, not a dollar, we won’t pay for the West Bank slaughter.”Protesters also chanted “Israel out of Palestine, long live the intifada,” “From the river to the sea, Palestine is almost free,” and “Netanyahu, you will see, Palestine will be free.”As the procession moved down the downtown thoroughfares, placards hoisted above the crowd featured bold lettering reading “Hands Off the West Bank” and “Arms Embargo Now.”Pro-Palestine protesters demonstrate near the Consulate General of Israel during the second day of the Democratic National Convention on August 20, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois; Illustrative. (credit: JIM VONDRUSKA/GETTY IMAGES)Upon reaching the designated rally point near the Trump Tower area, several prominent local organizers and protesters took turns speaking to the crowd. Speakers directed their core allegations toward specific recent events in the West Bank, focusing heavily on a late-July confrontation in the agricultural village of Tell, located near Nablus.According to accounts presented by the speakers, the village was subjected to an aggressive incursion by armed settlers who enjoy full protection from the IDF.An organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement condemned the ongoing escalation in the West Bank, warning that the “Zionist entity is moving to finish what it has pursued for generations: the theft of all of Palestine and the expulsion of all Palestinian people from their land.”PYM organizer: West Bank Palestinians face 'village by village' settler attacksThe organizer asserted that the territory is facing targeted, “village by village” occupation and settler attacks designed to “displace and occupy” communities through ethnic cleansing backed by US funding.Detailing the humanitarian toll, she noted that thousands have been displaced by settler attacks and demolitions and driven from Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams, while millions of dollars continue to be funneled into 34 new illegal settlements.She urged supporters to maintain pressure and fight imperialism, declaring that “the project of displacing and occupation of the West Bank” is unfolding systematically.An organizer with the US Palestinian Community Network also gave a speech, condemning ongoing violence in the West Bank and asserting that Israeli citizens are “funded and encouraged by their government to murder Palestinians, to sexually assault Palestinians, to harass Palestinians every single day.”USPCN organizer describes incidents of settler violence in West BankDetailing recent escalations, she claimed that settlers “have killed a 10-year-old boy,” beaten “a farmer and his wife,” and “destroyed Palestinian stores all across the West Bank,” and that Israeli officials had “promised to turn the West Bank into Gaza.”Turning her focus to domestic politics, she criticized US institutions by stating that “AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) itself has become toxic,” and pointed to figures like Daniel Biss and J.B. Pritzker as examples of politicians who have stated they “will not take any more AIPAC money.”Concluding her remarks, she urged protesters to join BDS Chicago to “confront politicians” and “scare the s*** out of them every single day until they do exactly what we want them to do.”The protest concluded in the late afternoon hours as organizers urged protesters to continue grassroots mobilization efforts, attend upcoming city council meetings, and participate in coordinated educational forums across the metropolitan area.Follow us on Google